charades

British  

/ ʃəˈrɑːdz /

noun

1. (functioning as singular) a parlour game in which one team acts out each syllable of a word, the other team having to guess the word

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Etymology

Origin of charades

C18: from French charade entertainment, from Provençal charrado chat, from charra chatter, of imitative origin

Example Sentences

"We divided attendees into groom and bride's teams and organised games like charades and guessing who the relative is from a stereotype," said CEO Anurag Pandey.

From BBC • Aug. 3, 2025

Hitler ran a regime that engaged in elaborate charades to bamboozle sympathetic and influential foreigners about the nature of the Nazi state.

From Salon • Sep. 21, 2024

This season will feature guest stars, including Chance the Rapper, Howie Mandel and Joe Manganiello, playing the game that is a mix between charades and telephone.

From New York Times • Mar. 11, 2024

Later named “state crawfish racing commissioner” by Texas Governor Preston Smith, Judice’s marketing charades eventually paid off by creating a regional market for what’s, today, a burgeoning industry.

From National Geographic • Feb. 15, 2024

Tristran looked at the crimson and canary and russet cloth, at clothes which looked more like the costumes of traveling players or the contents of his cousin Joan's charades chest, and said, "My clothes?"

From "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman